BRICS Summit 2026: Modi-Putin Meeting Today, Xi Jinping Bilateral Scheduled For September 12

India chairing the BRICS group this year, is aiming to boost collaboration between emerging economies in the face of geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainty and disruption to global supply chains.

Key areas of focus for India are food and energy security, resilient supply chains, trade and investment, technology, digital cooperation and development finance. The theme of its BRICS chairmanship is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”

On September 11, Modi and Putin held a bilateral meeting.Modi-Putin Bilateral on September 11.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already landed in New Delhi early on Friday for his three-day visit. He is later to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks.

The talks are likely to include trade and investment, energy, defence and other strategic issues.

Putin will also be attending a BRICS Business Forum and visiting INNOPROM exhibition with Modi.

India-China Arranging Modi-Xi Meeting

A major development in the run-up to the summit is the plan to have a bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister of India and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China is arranging a meeting between the two leaders, "China's" Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday. The Modi-Xi talks are to be held on September 12 on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

The meeting is on the watch as India and China work to calm down the frigid situation between the two nations and keep their dialogue on issues that have not been resolved.

Pezeshkian, Guterres & Other Leaders Arrive

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reached New Delhi on Friday and will meet Prime Minister Modi. The discussions come against the backdrop of continuing tensions in West Asia.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, also arrived in Delhi for the summit.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa landed in the capital on Friday, and the Ministry of External Affairs said India-South Africa relations were based on a “strategic partnership” and their shared “commitment to the Global South”.

The summit will also feature several other leaders and high-ranking officials.

Jaishankar Flags Global Economic Uncertainty

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who spoke before the meeting, said the meeting of the BRICS is occurring at a time when the world is witnessing profound change in its political and economic order.

He cited volatility, uncertainty and complexity stemming from geopolitical tensions, pandemics and climate-related events.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar emphasised speedy digitalisation and technological developments as possible productivity, development and growth enablers.

He emphasised the need for the economic resilience, innovation and sustainability of the economies, and the necessity to further employ the complementarities of member economies to establish new cooperating formats and increase market access.

Piyush Goyal emphasises on the economic potential of BRICS.

The Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the BRICS countries represent about half of humankind and about 40 per cent of the world's GDP.

He urged more cooperation to turn the bloc's economic capability into jobs, wealth and prosperity for its member countries.

The BRICS Business Forum will concentrate on the ways to deepen trade and investment relations and link supply chains between the member countries and opportunities for businesses.

The formal leaders' summit will kick off on Saturday, 12 September with a closed-door meeting on inclusive global governance and strengthening multilateralism.

The programme will also feature Bharat Innovates exhibition, a photo and tree-planting ceremony with the family, and a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Modi at the event.

The summit is scheduled to happen again on 13 September, focussing on the themes of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, ending with the New Delhi Declaration.

Delhi Under Tight Security

Delhi has a lot of foreign leaders and delegations in the city, so the city has implemented a lot of security and traffic curbs. Authorities have urged commuters to extend their travel time, and to use public transportation if they can, especially the metro.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has also announced that it will be operating early on Sunday so that the students and others can move around during the restrictions due to the summit.

The BRICS Summit marks a pivotal moment for the bloc, coinciding with India's efforts to deepen economic ties and advance the goals of the Global South and the cause of greater economic resilience in the face of global challenges.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susmita Modak

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Always love to raise the unraised matter. In a world of worries, I am always ready to come over my comfort zone and taking the step ahead of spreading awareness.

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